Comments on: High Fashion or Low Class?

By: Girl, Get Me Started! » Keeping It Real?

Girl, Get Me Started! » Keeping It Real? — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:21:50 +0000

[...] growth in students labeled in need of “Special Education.” Venus Wiliams’ Tennis Teddy. Suicide bombers. The Times Square Bomber. Glenn Beck’s use of Malia Obama to attack her [...]

By: Renee Cole

Renee Cole — Sat, 29 May 2010 18:18:21 +0000

@hotness — It’s being called art and as such each person that view’s it sees something different so I don’t understand how you can speak for the artists; Ms. Maldonado commented on a radio program that her mural reflected communities of color and I don’t disagree that those images are in communities of color all I am saying is that oversized asses and tits are not the only images in communities of color. These depictions are what these artists envision. For all we know Venus is saying what Ms. Tate comment reflects “kiss her black a**” none the less even without the illusion of her naked butt the black lace and red tie was straight up UGLY and to me (in answer of the original question what do you think?)so are the other artist depictions mentioned in your article!

By: Greg Tate

Greg Tate — Sat, 29 May 2010 16:59:12 +0000

lingerie,risque,budoir,derriere,josephine baker venus was definitely showing her working knowledge of french. and that day definitely bringing ass to kick ass.
per my mama i do think venus was signifying like a mutha.

somebody once said bad taste is the only taste worthy talking about since good taste is just the boring status quo.

i’m more offended by the white entitlement elitism of the tennis world than anything the williams sisters will ever say do or wear.

i love the way their compton reared sensibilities clash with that world and those of my favorite fashionistas alike.

bring the drama. keep em talking. all in a days work for a diva.

By: djauniversal

djauniversal — Sat, 29 May 2010 16:37:48 +0000

Nic.
You know, I responded a bit on “hotface” to your first post, but after reading some of these comments here… I must, I must reiterate.
1st. as a dancer and the kind of dancer I am, most who know me, know I love some nekedness. and nakedness or even, insinuated nakedness done well IS art.
I have some pictures up now, on my profile and in a 2010 calendar currently in dance studios all around Italy that I would let my nieces and nephews see — and will be proud for my children and grandchildren to see — that demonstrate the beauty of art in motion.. the complexity of a dancer’s body, etc. etc. and, thankfully, i have not gotten one comment from the parent’s of my students or other onlookers about what i’m (not) wearing.. or the ‘tasteful’ choice… they just see the DANCE the ART.
Now — to take it out of self — this is my problem w/ the Sisters. Honestly. Our criticism is not about lack of “ownership of our own black bodies” (make me laugh out loud, brotherman).. but rather the lack of representation on a large scale for those who have such ‘ownership’ of their bodies that they do it with, YES, class, and style. WHY of why is is so wrong for brown women to challenge other brown women on their choices of ‘style’ — especially when there are still so few representations of “us” in our many hues and body types out there???
SO i stand firm. the Sisters are doing a little better with the hair.. but there is a time and place to ‘make statements’ .. and this current one of Venus should have been left in the boudoir. and damn if i’d love to help her style her beautiful black a$$ for some true fashion forward back handed swings! AND yes.. the beauty at the end of the day is she’s amazing at her sport /art and we should be focusing on that. thank goodness she won!

By: florence tate

florence tate — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:06:46 +0000

remember once when richard pryor told that disapproving white audience as he abandoned the stage, “you can just kiss my fat black, rich ass”!?
maybe there’s a li’l bit of that going on here?

By: theHotness

theHotness — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:57:43 +0000

@Renee: Those were excellent points! Even though I understand your stance, I don’t agree b/c I see the work of Sofia and Kara as documentary. There are women, hard working, educated, mothers who are represented in Sofia’s work that challenge status quo with their style. The mural is an acknowledgment and celebration of them. With Kara, her images are startling but I don’t think they serve to further oppress Black folk or give white folk some sense of pleasure or license to further discriminate. I think it makes all of us squirm a bit because at the end of the day what really happened to slaves is a lot more horrific and sexually exploitative than anything depicted in her murals… lest we forget.

By: theHotness

theHotness — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:50:17 +0000

Great comments. A lot of very interesting points!
@StevenGF: Nah, I can’t applaud Venus for her outfit because it’s ugly and honestly why should she get kudos for flashing her ass in public? I can see that on BET, MTV or right in front of my local bodega any night of the week. That’s nothing new. And there’s no envy from me. I body belongs to me of that I am sure and where what I please. I have no one to answer to about what I can or cannot wear and I most of all I wear what pleases me everyday.
@negauniv: With a get-up like that she had better won!:)

By: negauniversal

negauniversal — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:56:48 +0000

I happened to be watching the match with two loved ones and we kept leaning into the tv screen, waiting for her to jump to verify that the shorts really were flesh-toned; waiting for the camera to zoom in to make sure that really was lace with no lining… and witnessing her in action, still playing her sport with the same seriousness as she would had she worn the plain + proper outfit worn by her opponent, I wasn’t mad at all. I didn’t get offended because I don’t think she’s representing “Black women”; she’s representing herself and the Williams family… and if I got upset every time those sisters came out looking ‘wrong’– which they have a history of doing (beaded braids/ to’-up weaves), then I wouldn’t EVER be able to enjoy the game. Venus may have been wanting attention that day (and we all have days like that) so she got it… only she’s not a girl in the hood strutting down the block- you’re right- but she’s strutting around the court- HER court. Just like Dennis Rodman’s antics claimed his territory- I think Venus did because she could. She owns the tennis court. Plus she won

By: Jeff Winbush

Jeff Winbush — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:55:26 +0000

Let’s not overthink this. Venus wore that outfit for one reason: to give everyone something to talk about. Her play isn’t enough to get it done (when was the last time you saw either Venus or Serena on the cover of Sports Illustrated?), so give people an optical illusion and see what that does.

OF COURSE it looks like hell. It’s supposed to. But showing off your lady parts works for Lady Gaga and Erykah Badu, so why wouldn’t it work for Venus?

Media manipulation. It’s not just for dinner anymore.

By: Renee Cole

Renee Cole — Wed, 26 May 2010 23:27:52 +0000

Since you asked, I think (as in it is my opinion) that all of the above are tasteless! Just check the target audience in all (3) cases; what “they” consider art is always at the expense of the overall reputation of “us”. To me its no different than the rappers that glorify living in the hood amongst guns and violence, objectify women and describe a stint in prison as a walk in the park so that they can reap material benefits from people who know nothing about the hood but can sell these stories most of which are falsely magnified. All of them are SELLING “art” at the expense of people of color who to me are the world of capitalism’s most vulnerable in te context of the intellectual Professor Cornell West. I don’t find anything artistic about emphasizing the private parts of naked black women or in compromising positions such as in the picture posted. I wish someone would depict the reverse; a blonde white woman doing that to a man with an Afro, or Kobe Bryant with a flesh colored illusion of basketball shorts a jock strap and see if that sells to that same audience! If we already disrespect ourselves on a continuous basis then we can’t expect others to respect us–we don’t need to be concerned with the oppression committed on us by others–others can continue to make money off us and we will be none the wiser. Nakedness may be shown tastefully and I think in these three cases the “art” is distasteful.